


While You Were Sleeping

by ohmissmills



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-16 16:15:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18525079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohmissmills/pseuds/ohmissmills
Summary: Lonely mayor Regina Mills pulls her crush, Neal Nolan, from the path of an oncoming bus. At the hospital, doctors report that he's in a coma, and a misplaced comment from Regina causes Neal's family to assume that she is his fiancée. Things get even more complicated when she finds herself falling for Emma, Neal's sister.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, I posted this story a while ago but I had the feeling no one was reading it so I took it down. Since it's one of my favorite stories, I've decided to give it another go. I really hope you enjoy it and please don't forget to review! (:
> 
> PS: I don't have a beta so I apologize for any mistakes.

It was a beautiful snowy day in Storybrooke, Maine. Regina Mills could hear the birds chirping and the click clack of her heels on the pavement as she walked down the sidewalk to Granny’s Diner on Main Street. Regina couldn't go to work without a good cup of coffee - an image of the stack of paperwork that was sitting neatly on the desk in her office waiting to be filled suddenly popped into her head and she felt the familiar throb of a migraine - and Granny’s was very quiet in the early hours of the day and the chances of actually bumping into someone were very slim. Perfect for the grumpy mayor. The delicate bells rang when Regina opened the glass doors, announcing her presence and the smell of caffeine, caramel and pancakes filled her nostrils, making the brunette smile widely. She didn't know why, but she always felt at home whenever she was there. Regina sat gracefully on one of the red stools in front of the large counter and waited to be served.

“Good morning, Madam Mayor. Are you having the usual today?”  
Ruby Lucas was a very young and very attractive brunette who had just started working at her grandmother’s diner to save up money to go to college in Boston. Her parents had died when she was just a little kid and Granny had tried her best to give Ruby a good education, but even though the diner was a hit her financial situation didn't allow her to pay for Ruby's college tuition. So the girl worked a shift everyday to pay for her future studies. Regina would sometimes linger a little longer just to talk to her about her plans and dreams for her future. 

"Hello, Ruby. Yes, I will be having the usual. Please.” Regina smiled at the young girl behind the corner as she reached for her black leather wallet. She took a 20 dollar bill and handed it to Ruby. "Keep the change.”

"Oh, Regina. There’s no way I can accept this, it’s just too much." Ruby said as she looked at the bill with dazzled eyes. She didn’t want to deny it, of course, but she thought it was the right thing to do. After all, she could never take advantage of the stern woman she came to consider a friend. 

"You can and you will." Regina put her hand on top of Ruby's and nodded firmly, her eyes telling the brunette that she wouldn’t take no for an answer. The mayor could see a little bit of herself in the young girl and so she helped her in any way she could.

"Thanks, for real." The girl smiled in return, turning around to get Regina’s ceramic mug filled with the dark liquid that had the power to make everything better. "And here's your coffee.If you need anything else, just call!” she added.

Regina thanked Ruby for the coffee and took a sip of it, indulging the bitter taste with just the faintest pinch of something spicy. She opened her tablet and went over the construction plans she had received from Marco the night before. There were something wrong with them, but the mayor couldn't figure out what exactly and it was driving her crazy. The bells on the door rang again and Regina's attention shifted immediately. Finally. She thought to herself.

A dark haired man came into the diner and stopped in front of the counter, not even bothering to sit down. Regina knew that his name was Neal Nolan and that he liked his latte with three pumps of caramel. She also knew that he loved the White Rabbits baseball team and that he was trying to become a deputy, to his mother's horror. But she never really talked to him...She didn't have the courage to get over to him and introduce herself, so she would just sit there and listen to his conversations.

Regina shook her head and her thoughts went away. She took one last sip of her coffee as she closed her tablet and put it back in her Birkin bag. The mayor headed to the door and as she was opening it she felt a warm heavy hand on hers. She withdrew her hand quickly, not really used to physical contact, and looked at the person standing next to her. Sparkling green eyes met chocolate ones for the very first time and Regina swore her knees would give in. Neal smiled softly at the beautiful woman in front of him and opened the door for her.

"Thank you." Regina managed to say those two words after a few seconds and she scolded herself for stammering. She was Regina Mills, a powerful and successful woman who would not drool over some man who, by the looks of it, probably didn’t even know who she was.  
Neal smiled softly and held in a giggle. "You're very welcome.” 

Regina stopped outside the diner, looking for the keys to her Mercedes when she felt her phone buzzing in one of the many compartments of her bag. She recognized the caller ID as being Mal, her secretary and realized that she was late for work. How did that even happen? She never lost track of time before in her entire life. Regina answered her phone and gave a weak explanation for her delay and said that she would be at the office in the next five minutes. She was observing Neal as Mal talked about her appointments on the phone and she suddenly gasped at the sight of a bus coming at full speed. Regina ran over to Neal as fast as her heels allowed her and reached for his arm, pulling him hard against her.

They both fell to the ground with a loud thud. Regina hurt her wrist and scraped her elbows, but she was relieved that nothing worse happened. They were both safe and in one piece. It was then that she noticed that Neal was just laying next to her, though, still as a rock. Regina got up immediately, reaching for her phone that had fallen a few meters away from them - and was miraculously intact - and dialed 911 as she took a closer look at the man now underneath her. People started gathering up around them and some even offered their assistance once they recognized her.

A few minutes later -which to Regina felt like an eternity- the red flashing lights told her that the ambulance had finally arrived. The paramedics put Neal on a stretcher and moved him carefully into the back doors of the car. Regina was incredibly agitated and since she was a control freak and the mayor she wanted to make sure Neal would be treated correctly. She approached one of the young paramedics and smiled softly, something that was still foreign to her . “Hello, I’m Mayor Mills and I was with him when it happened. Would you mind terribly if I accompanied him?”

Regina hopped on the back of the ambulance as soon as the paramedic cleared her and sat next to Neal to his right. Thoughts invaded her mind and she went over every little scenario. He hit his head. The mayor thought to herself. He's not responding normally to any stimulation or to light or sound. Possibly a coma? Regina had to remind herself that even though she had watched Grey’s Anatomy every Thursday for the past 15 years she was not a doctor and therefore could not guess his condition. She was shaking and sweating like she never had before. Please, just don't let him die. Even though Regina didn't believe in God, that seemed like a good time to say a prayer or two.

The paramedics rushed through the doors with Neal as soon as they got out of the ambulance, followed by the mayor. "Male, early thirties, hit his head on the sidewalk." One of the paramedics told the doctor who had approached them. Regina stopped listening as she turned her attention to Neal. Why am I so desperate over this? How can I be in love with a complete stranger? It didn't make sense to the brunette and for the first time in her 36 years of life, she couldn't understand what was going on inside her head or inside her heart and that really scared her.

"Ma'am?" The steady voice of an older woman sent Regina’s thoughts away. She was wearing an all salmon scrubs, her hair tucked tightly in a bun and she had one of her arms straightened out, keeping Regina from passing any further. "I can't let you go in...Family only, I'm sorry." The woman smiled sympathetically and followed the team.

Regina stood still, watching the doctor and the paramedics take Neal further away through the glass doors. Her heart clenched a little and she rested her hands on her chest.

"I was going to marry him." She says softly, just loud enough for her and for another nurse - a younger woman- she had no idea was right behind her to hear.  
…

A few hours later, the younger nurse guided Regina to a private room on the 5th floor. Regina couldn't quite understand why the blonde lady was being so kind when all of the others were so determined to prevent her from seeing Neal. She smiled at the nurse who smiled back brightly. Regina was getting ready to sit on the armchair next to the bed when she heard loud voices coming from the hall.

"Where is he? I need to see my son." It was a woman's voice and it sounded a lot like an angry mother, something Regina knew quite well. Or maybe the poor woman was just worried out of her mind. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what it must feel like to receive a call from a hospital saying that your son had been in an accident.

"Yeah, I wanna see my brother." This time a male voice, Regina could tell it belonged to a much younger person just but the tone. “Where the hell is he?” the voice demanded. 

“Mary Margaret, Graham, would you please keep it down? We are at a hospital after all.” Another male voice and Regina could only assume it was coming from the father of the family. 

"Hello, I'm Rumple Gold and we're here to see Neal Nolan? Please.” A much older man addressed one of the nurses who jumped on her feet almost immediately and directed the very loud family into the room. Even without actually seeing the man, the mayor knew he had an authoritarian flare.

"Oh, my! Look at him, David, he looks so pale. My poor baby!" Mary Margaret ran towards the bed and rested her hands on Neal’s shoulder, caressing him through his hospital gown. Neal had been her miracle baby, so to speak. She had been told at an early age that it would be incredibly hard for her to get pregnant - that’s why they chose to adopt their daughter - but she didn’t give up. Of course the doctors were wrong because when Neal was about 3 years old, Graham came along in his full glory. 

"Come on, Mom, don't be so dramatic." Graham said, rolling his eyes at his mother's reaction. He had been worried sick the minute he knew what had happened to his brother but his mom was already freaked out enough for the both of them, hell, for the entire family. So he pushed his feelings down and pretended to be cool with the whole ordeal. “Neal’s strong, he’s gonna be fine.”

“Hey.” The man who Regina had found out was named David just a few minutes before turned to face her, noticing her for the very first time since they came into the room. “Who are you?”

"Oh, David, don't be rude." Mary Margaret scolded her husband as she turned her attention to the mayor just as eager to find out who the mystery woman was.

"I-I..." Regina tried to speak but she found her tongue was suddenly dry and she couldn't form a complete sentence. What was she supposed to say anyway? Hey, I’m the complete stranger who has a crush on your son and happened to be next to him when he almost got hit by a bus. No, of course she couldn’t say that but she also couldn’t stay quiet —

"She's his fiancée." The nurse, who apparently got there out of nowhere, winked at Regina and looked back at the family. Three pairs of eyes were wide and their jaws dropped as they looked from Regina to the nurse and then back to Regina, completely in shock. "And she saved his life." The young woman added before checking on Neal and leaving the room.

Regina got up from the chair and smoothed the fabric of her skirt. She looked at the family and their eyes were now sparkling with excitement, waiting for a better explanation. "I'm Regina Mills-" She smiled and before she could carry on she was involved in a bone crushing hug. Mary Margaret had her arms around the mayor’s slim waist so tight that Regina thought she would pass out from the lack of air in her lungs. 

"Regina Mills as in Mayor Mills?" David inquired. “Will you look at that, I voted for you!” He said, proud that he had served his duties as a citizen of Storybrooke. 

Mary Margaret turned to face her husband, her smile never faltering. "She's a politician...I always wanted a politician in the family." Neal had never even introduced a girlfriend to them and if she was being honest to herself she had thought that he was either gay or dating girls who weren’t appropriate. But now here she was, face to face with this beautiful and clearly powerful woman and her heart was filled with pride over her son’s choice. 

"Is it true?" Graham looked at Regina, his brows narrowed. "Did you save his life?"

Regina intertwined her fingers, her thumb drawing circles around the skin of her palm. She was rarely nervous and fidgeting was a sign of weakness, something she had learned from her mother at an early age. "I suppose I did..Yes." She smiled shyly and was instantly involved in another warm hug with that affirmation.

"How come our son got engaged and didn't even tell his family?" David arched his brow, but didn't look directly at Regina. Neal had always been a quiet boy, overshadowed by both Emma and Graham who had loud - incredibly loud- personalities. But David couldn’t, for the life of him, understand why his son would keep something as big as an engagement from his family.

"The way he's always busy trying so hard to follow Emma's steps into becoming a deputy...He never has time for anything!" Mary Margaret said. She hated that two of her children had chosen such a risky career. Storybrooke wasn’t dangerous and the crime rate was incredibly low, but you never know what could happen and it’s a mother’s job to worry. 

Another few hours went by and Regina had to excuse herself, it was getting late and she still needed to drop by the office to fill the rest of the paperwork. Her wrist had been strained during the fall and was now involved securely in a cast and she sighed, thinking at how hard it would be to finish her task. "It was lovely meeting you all, but I have to go. There's something at work that I need to check on."  
They all hugged her as if she was already part of the family, kissing her on the cheek and saying their goodbyes. They reassured her that everything was going to be fine, after all, Neal was a strong man, a hero even, and that he would get through this. She smiled back softly and walked towards the elevators.

"She's hot." Graham said as he watched the sway of the brunette’s hip as she walked away. He had been struck by her beauty the minute her presence was known and he couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit jealous of his older brother.

"Graham!" Mary Margaret slapped the back of her youngest son.

...

It was way past midnight, and Regina couldn't sleep. At some point she got up and made herself a cup of chamomile tea, in hopes that it would calm her nerves. Her maid used to do that whenever she couldn't sleep as a child and she carried that ‘tradition’ into her adulthood. Magda had always been like a mother to her, since her actual mother was always too busy to tuck her daughter in or to tell her that there were no monsters under her bed and that everything would be okay.

The digital clock on the kitchen counter showed the hours. 3:20am. Regina sighed in frustration as she walked towards the closet in the foyer to grab her coat, not even bothering to change out of her silk pajama suit.

She drove silently through the empty streets, all over to Storybrooke General. The night was beautiful, she noticed, the sky clear except for a few little lonely stars and she saw a bit of herself in one particular shiny dot that strayed from the rest. The moon was as thin as a nail, but it was still magnificent to Regina’s eyes.

Regina got her visitor's tag at the reception and wasted no time in heading to Neal's room. He was still unconscious and if the monitors weren’t turned on she would have thought he wasn’t breathing. But now he looked very peaceful and very comfortable and the mayor’s heart melted a little as she approached the hospital bed, sitting carefully on the edge.

"I bet you are wondering what I'm doing here in the middle of the night." She chuckled lightly, a soft sound that she wasn’t used to. "Well, I thought I should introduce myself. My name is Regina. Regina Theodora Mills and I think you should know that your family thinks we're engaged." The brunette scoffed. "I've never been engaged before so this is all very sudden for me. But what I really came here to tell you was that I didn't mean for this to happen. If I’m being completely honest, I don't know what to do. If you were awake, I wouldn't be in this mess. Oh God, not that I'm blaming you. Of course not." She patted on his knee gently, tracing the pattern on the sheets with the tip of her finger. 

"It's just that when I was a child, I always imagined what I would be like or what I would have when I got older. And you know, it was quite ordinary things. I'd have a house and a family and everything that comes with it. It's not that I'm complaining or anything, because I do have a great career and a lovely home. I have all the peace and quiet in the world, that's very important. It's just that I've never met anybody that I could laugh with." Regina looked down at her hands, her delicate fingers playing with the ring that had belonged to her father.

"Do you believe in love at first sight? I bet you don't. You're probably too sensible for that. I was too, you know? Until I met you.." She smiled. "Or have you ever seen somebody and you know that if that person really knew you, they'd dump whoever they were with and realize that you were the one they wanted to grow old with? Have you ever fallen in love with somebody that you haven't even talked to? Have you ever been so alone that you spent the night confusing a man in a coma?"

Regina reached out and rested her hand on Neal’s, the olive of her skin contrasting on top of milk. She needed that, she needed to tell someone how she was really feeling. Regina never told a lie - even though she was a politician - in her entire life and just the thought of it made her tremble. But you aren't lying. Well, not technically. She thought to herself. It was the nurse that told everybody that you were engaged, not you. But she was kind of relieved that at least someone knew the truth, even if that someone was in a coma.

Little did she know that Rumple Gold was right there, resting his head on the door frame.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in the update. Hope you enjoy! (:
> 
> Ps: Please don't forget to review.

The next morning, Regina found herself curled up on the armchair. She didn't know how she managed to sleep in the most uncomfortable position ever but the endless nights she had spent in her office served for something after all. She opened her eyes and it took them a few seconds to get adjusted to the brightness of the hospital room. Regina looked down at her wrist watch and jumped out of the arm chair. She was late...again and she groaned as she remembered she was still in her pajamas. "Damn it" Regina whispered to herself as she gathered her belongings.

The brunette stopped at the edge of the bed and stared down at Neal for a few seconds, memorizing every detail of his face. Was she crazy for doing this? Should she just tell everybody the truth and move on with her life? But she couldn't. Not now, not after being this involved. Regina just shook her head, storing all those thoughts deep in her mind and blew Neal a kiss, too scared to step over the boundaries - as if she hadn’t already. 

When she turned around, she almost yelped as four pairs of eyes looked straight at her. Her heart was beating insanely fast against her chest and for a minute she thought she would have a heart attack. 

"Regina, we didn't know you’d be here." Mary Margaret said, already pulling her into a hug. Regina tensed immediately, not at all used to being at the receiving end of a mother’s affection. It took her a few seconds to finally relax into the pixie haired woman’s warm arms and hug her back.

"Hello." The mayor managed to say before Mary Margaret tightened the grip around her waist, knocking the air out of her lungs once again. She wondered for a bit if that’s what a healthy mother-daughter relationship was supposed to be like.

"Were you here all night?" Graham asked as he sat on a wooden bench in front of the large window in the left side of the room. He couldn’t stop looking at her and noticing that even with mussed hair she was still absolutely breathtaking. 

"Yes, yes I was. Apparently my body or my psyche finds the armchair more comfortable than my very own bed." Regina chuckled but then huffed when she felt an ache on her lower back.

"You are just like me. I can always sleep anywhere, no matter how noisy or bright. It almost seems like I’m under a sleeping curse sometimes." Mary Margaret said as she finally let go of Regina, smoothing invisible wrinkles on her polka dot dress.

"Believe me, she has. That’s why we call her Snow White." David mocked his wife lovingly and earned a slap on his arm. They had been married for almost 34 years and it still felt like they were teenagers in love who couldn’t get enough of each other. The thought of them being like this forever brought a brief smile to his face.

"So how is Neal?" Rumple said as he got closer to his godson's bed. He had never been married and his dream of becoming a father had never come true, but what he felt towards David and Mary Margaret’s children was enough for him. Gold had seen them grow up, had been there every step of the way and he couldn’t be more proud of the adults they had become.

"Well, the nurse said his vitals are good but he is still not responding to any kind of stimulation. At least he is not that pale anymore." Regina smiled timidly as she looked for her phone in her purse. She typed a quick text, letting Mal know that something had come up and she would have to be late before putting the phone back.

They all gathered around the bed and nodded their heads positively, letting Regina know that they had heard what she had just said. A family like that was all she ever wanted. Not that she wasn't grateful for her own family, not at all. But she grew up way too fast, having to take care of herself on her own at a very early age. Regina just wished that what was left of her family was as sweet and as loving as the Nolans.

"Well, I have to go now, unfortunately. It was lovely to see you all again." Her voice came a little too formal for her liking, but she didn't do anything to fix it. She was incredibly tired and was beginning to feel just a tiny bit stressed thanks to her tardiness. 

"Mom, ask her." Graham said as he stood up. Regina looked at him, really looked for the first time. He was absolutely nothing like Neal and if she hadn’t known, she would never have guessed they were brothers. Where Neal was somewhat short and soft, Graham was lean and muscular. They were both beautiful in their own particular way. "Go on."

"We’re having a Christmas celebration tonight, and uh... We talked about it when we got home yesterday and well, we were wondering if you'd like to come and join us." Mary Margaret really wanted Regina to say yes, but she would understand if she said no. The accident, their introduction, everything just happened so fast and she could only imagine how overwhelmed Regina was.

Regina had never really celebrated Christmas before. Her parents were always travelling around this time of the year and she would just stay in bed and watch cartoons until she fell asleep. They didn't even have a Christmas tree - that was all her mother’s doing- and they didn't exchange presents as well. Her father, though, would sometimes give her small ones but she had to hide them from her mother. He was such a good man, he just wasn’t strong enough to stand up to his wife. Regina didn’t blame him, neither was she.

"I would love to." Regina’s answer surprised the hell out of her. She was quite the introvert and was not used to letting people walk into her life so easily. But there was something different with the Nolans, something that she couldn’t understand. Mary Margaret's eyes sparkled even more and she let out a squeal like a little child would on Christmas morning. “But I might be a bit late.” 

"That's fine, as long as you're coming." Graham grinned and Mary Margaret turned to him, her mouth moving over the words "stop it". "Emma is going to be there." He added.

"Oh, right. You haven't met Emma yet." David was now sitting on the edge of the bed, his left hand on Neal’s right ankle, stroking it absentmindedly. He couldn’t even imagine the reaction his daughter would have to the news. She had been incredibly busy and they thought that it would be best to tell her in person.

"No, I haven't." Regina ran her fingers through her dark short tresses. They were tangled and frizzy and it was making her uncomfortable. The thought of going directly to the office did cross her mind but she knew she would end up stressed and grumpy and she didn’t want her mood to affect the rest of her evening.

"She's gonna love you, I'm sure of it. We all already do, you know?" Mary Margaret smiled and kissed Regina's cheeks. "You better go now, we don't want to keep you. Here." She handed a small piece of paper to Regina. "This is our address. Oh, and our telephone number just in case."

Regina got the paper and folded it gently, putting it in one of the compartments inside of her Birkin where she knew she wouldn’t lose. She headed to the elevators once again and pressed the down arrow a couple of times, almost as if that action would get the elevator there faster. When she was ready to get in the ride, a male nurse's voice calling her name made her stop. He was holding a big box with Neal's belongings, his keys, his wallet and his coat.

"Here are your husband's things." He pushed the box into Regina’s unexpecting arms like it was some kind of bomb that could go off any minute now. He gave her a lopsided grin and thrusted his hands on the pockets of his uniform.

"He's not my husband!" Regina barked, a little too harsh. The lack of sleep, the throbbing in her head and that incredibly annoying ache on her lower back were starting to drive her insane and the entire ordeal with Neal and his family was becoming just too much. Regina felt guilty for directing her annoyance towards someone who had nothing to do with it so she smiled apologetically. 

"I'm sorry, uh... your fiancée’s." He smiled back and disappeared around the corner as fast as he was allowed to in the halls.

Regina closed her eyes and sighed deeply. She didn't know for how long she would have to deal with this messy situation and she had no clue how she had let herself get into this in the first place. She was the mayor of Storybrooke, not some girl who couldn't get a hold of herself. She pressed the down arrow again, since the nurse made her lose her ride as she tapped her foot on the floor and considered taking the stairs.

"You're Neal's fiancée?" A man cleared his throat right behind her and Regina had to turn around to face the mysterious person.

"Hm..okay..." Regina managed to say as she settled the box under her defined arm. The movement made her groan as she remembered that she had lost her training that morning and didn’t even let Leroy - her personal trainer- know. She was what people call a gym rat and she didn’t care one bit since she always strived to be the best version of herself both mentally and physically. 

"I'm August Booth. I’ve been friends with Neal since kindergarten.” Booth smiled politely at the brunette in front of him. "He is a great guy, but I'm sure you already know that." Regina stared blankly at him, hoping that he would just stop talking and leave her alone so she could rush back home. "He’s had a tough year, with the accident and all."

Regina's annoyed look suddenly turned into a very confused one. Accident? She didn't know anything about any accident. But then again, she didn't know Neal at all. "Accident?" Her voice faltered and she hated herself for that. Jesus, Regina, get a hold of yourself right now.

"Yeah, of course it was an accident. Did he tell you I did that on purpose? Oh, man. We were playing basketball and I had a pencil, I don't know why the heck I had it but it was there, alright?” Regina listened carefully to the young man as he went on and on about how he hadn't meant for it to happen and that it wasn't cool that Neal was telling everybody that is was his fault. When he finally said goodbye and wished her a good day, she decided that is was a safer choice to just take the stairs.

It was 8:30 pm when Regina arrived at the Nolans' house. There was snow on the sidewalk so she had to be careful not to slip and fall, since she was wearing her favourite Jimmy Choo's high heels. She was holding her delicate night purse in one hand and a beautiful bouquet composed of red and white roses and some green leaves -Christmas' colors- she got for Mary Margaret. Regina thought about getting the family some presents but decided against it. After all she barely knew them.

Regina noticed the Christmas lights around the house and the decorations on the lawn. She had only seen this kind of things in movies and she remembers how much she had begged her mother to allow some decorations one year when she was a little girl. Her mother had then grounded her for her insolence and that was the last time she even thought about it. The house was absolutely beautiful and the mayor could feel warmth taking over her heart, even though it was 28.4 degrees outside. 

Rumple was outside and had observed the brunette from the moment she stepped out of the cab. He had heard everything she told Neal the night before and he still didn’t know what to think. Part of him wanted to expose the truth and get over with it but part of him believed she was caught up in this mess and just didn’t know how to get out. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" 

Regina turned to the now familiar voice and nodded. "It is indeed." She had an easy smile adorning her features that made her look like a little girl and Gold couldn’t help but smile back. "Hello, Rumple."

"Hello, Regina." He kissed her cheek softly. Maybe giving her a chance wouldn’t be such a terrible idea after all. Who knows, maybe she would be good to Neal, a lot different from the numerous models he used to date. The same models he never brought home because he knew his mother would have a fit. "You made it, huh?"

"Wouldn't miss it." The honesty of her words surprised her. She was the queen of getting out of this kind of situations and yet her heart longed for another encounter. Regina had them 24 hours ago and for some unknown reason she felt like she finally found somewhere she belonged.

"Keep me company for a while, would you? Mary Margaret doesn't let me smoke inside the house." Rumple shook her out of the trance she seemed to have entered and started walking towards the steps that lead to the pale yellow house. Regina followed him. "Do you want one?" The older man offered after propping one between his teeth.

"No, thank you. Smoking is terrible for you health. Tobacco smoke contains many dangerous chemicals and studies show that smokers are more likely to develop lung cancer." Regina said matter of factly. She was an incredibly healthy person and she was an avid reader of medical researches. If she was being completely honest, cigarettes made her want to puke.

"Wow." Rumple managed to say and stared at a clearly guilty Regina. He had an amused grin on his face and part of him considered not lighting the cigarette, but his addiction spoke louder. 

"I'm terribly sorry, sometimes I can't control what comes out of my mouth. And I’m just very passionate about personal health." Regina had been on a constant diet since she was 15 years old after her mother had told her no one would ever look at her if she was fat. She had scoffed at her at the time, but those words still echoed in her head to this day. She smiled apologetically, looking anywhere but at the older man next to her. 

"It's okay, Regina. You're just looking after me, that's nice."

They sat down on the front steps, a comfortable silence falling around them. Regina placed the bouquet next to her and rubbed her hands against each other –she no longer had the cast on, having taken it off because it didn’t quite match her outfit and because she didn’t feel much pain – to make sure that her fingers wouldn't freeze. The silence didn’t last long though and they talked about everything and anything in a matter of minutes. Regina suddenly felt like she'd known him for years.

"Did you know I was Neal's godfather?" He asked all of a sudden. He was supposed to have been Emma’s godfather, but David’s twin brother James had insisted to fill the position. Nevertheless, he loved the three children more than he loved his own life.

"No, I didn't know that." Regina answered simply. She didn’t know anything about Neal other than his order at Granny’s and his favorite baseball team. She felt pathetic all of a sudden and she had to remind herself to keep her cool.

"You know, being a godfather is very important to the Catholics. It means you're practically part of the family." Rumple was a difficult person, he was quite aware of this fact. He was demanding, arrogant and at times even cruel. Maybe that was the reason he never managed to build a family of his own. But the Nolans took him in, despite his flaws, and gave him all the love he ever needed. 

"You're very lucky." Regina looked down, trying to hide the sadness on her face and the crack in her voice. Family was a very touchy subject to the brunette. If she was being honest to herself, she didn’t even know why her parents had decided to have children. Her mother had never been interested in her existence, apart from the times she was trying to manipulate Regina into doing whatever she wanted. Her father, though, was a loving and caring man but they still hadn’t had the warm relationship she always longed for. "It's important to have family around this time of year."

"Are you, uh- are your parents with you?" Rumple sensed the change in the air almost instantly and he knew that perhaps he shouldn’t intrude, but he just wanted to know more about the mysterious woman that was suddenly among them. 

"Well, I lost my father a few years ago, but my mother is still alive if that's what you mean. My family was never like this, though." She pointed in the direction of the front door. "They were, and Mother still is, very busy at Christmas time, so we never really celebrated it."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Regina." He gave her a sympathetic smile. The more he talked to her the more he realized that she wasn’t the threat he initially thought she would be. 

"That's okay, I'm used to it." Regina finally looked back at him and smiled in return. She was starting to feel uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation and she hoped that Rumple would take the focus away from her. 

"My mother passed away last February." Gold said as if he had read the brunette’s thoughts. It had been the darkest time of his life and he would be forever grateful for all of the support he received.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Rumple." Regina reached out her hand and patted him lightly on the knee. She knew the pain of losing a parent and she would never wish that on anyone, not even upon her worst enemies. Her relationship with her father was distant, yes, but the pain was still unbearable. 

"Yeah, it was a rough time, but David and Mary Margaret got me through it. They let me move in for a while, they made sure I ate and they took care of me. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay them for that. "

"You are good friends, huh?" Regina smiled faintly as she thought of the one person who did the same for her. Her best friend Kathryn had been there through the ups and downs and never once failed to provide support when it was needed. Regina couldn’t imagine what her life would be like without her and to be honest she hoped she would never have to. 

"The best." He smiled fondly. 

They sat there in silence for a while, feeling the cold wind and looking at the starless sky. Regina felt like everything was sadder in the winter time. There were no leaves on the trees, no color, no warmth. She always felt more alone than she already was and to be honest she hated it.

"You know..." Gold broke the silence. "The Nolan’s took me as part of their family. I'd never let anyone hurt them." Even though he knew the chances of Regina actually taking advantage of said family were slim, he still felt the need to warn her. 

Regina nodded and smiled softly. "Neither would I." And she meant that with all her heart. It was a messy situation, for sure, but she hoped everything would work out in the end and no one would get hurt.

"I believe you wouldn't."

Before they could say anything else, the front door opened and a very excited Mary Margaret came out to greet them. Christmas was her favorite time of the year. All the lights, the carols, the snow, just filled her with an inexplicable joy. Seeing the both of them sitting on the steps in front of her house just made everything a bit more perfect. "Come inside, you two, is freezing out here." The older woman said and they both did as told. "Mal Drake made her famous eggnog and my turkey is just about done." She added as she entered back in the house. Regina gave her the flowers and earned a bone crushing hug and a thank you.

"Word to wise:" said Rumple in a low whisper. "Drink soda." He winked and followed Mary Margaret to the kitchen.

Regina chuckled and made her way to the living room. Everybody stopped talking when the brunette approached them and they all said excited hello's. Regina received lots of hugs and kisses and her heart just melted to the ground. She was feeling incredibly loved that night and that was everything she always wished for.

Soon enough they were all seated at the table, drinking, laughing and sharing stories. The eggnog was, as Rumple implied, the worst thing Regina had ever tasted in her entire life. It was bitter instead of sweet and all she could taste was the actual eggs. Mary Margaret’s turkey on the other hand was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and Regina could have sworn the stuffing was made by actual angels. 

“So tell me, Regina.” Mal Drake said in between bites. “How come we don’t see you frequently? I mean, there are people who don’t even know what our mayor looks like.” She shrugged as the stabbed a steamed broccoli, bringing it to firm red lips. 

“I don’t like public appearances.” Regina said flatly. “I didn’t get into politics to be in the spotlight, to make grand promises I can’t keep. I got into politics because I believed I could make Storybrooke a better place, and to be honest I really think I did.” She gave Mal a practiced smile, the same she used whenever she had to speak in public or to her own mother, but no one seemed to notice how fake it actually was. “I’d much rather work quietly than do press conferences every other day.”

“That’s very noble of you, Regina.” Mary Margaret piped in. She had been so happy when Regina won, being the first ever woman to take office and all that. And being the concerned citizen she was, she did notice quite the change in her beloved city in the past year and a half. “You have done great things and I’m sure you’ll continue to make us proud.”

“And if you ever decide to run again…” David lifted his beer bottled and tilted it in the brunette’s direction. “You have our vote”

“Yeah, you’re the hottest mayor we’ve ever had.” Graham said, only to yelp once her mother’s foot came in contact with his calf. He knew Regina was Neal’s fiance but he was still human.

Dinner took a more relaxed turn and Regina felt like they had done this her entire life. After dessert, a delicious apple pie, they all had their stomachs full and lazy smiles on their face. They moved to the living room once they regained a bit of their strength, still laughing and talking loudly to each other.

Mary Margaret insisted on showing Regina the family album, so they sat comfortably on the sofa where Graham had already lodged, the ladder loving the fact that he was this close to the beautiful brunette. Regina rested the album on the her lap and the three of them looked at the pictures as Mary Margaret told every little detail of those memories. 

"Who is this?" Regina asked, pointing to a tall light haired girl next to Neal. They were covered in mud and their knees were scraped but they both looked very excited. The girl had her arm around Neal’s shoulder in a protective way and they both had lopsided grins on their faces. 

"That's Emma. Our older sister, who was supposed to be here tonight." Graham answered roughly. She had missed his birthday party, hadn’t visited Neal yet and missed Christmas, all because of work.

"Stop it, Graham. She said she would try to be here, but she got a call last minute." Mary Margaret sighed. She hated her daughter's job. She hated that her little girl put herself in the line of danger every single day and she hated that she couldn't be more with her own family. 

Mary Margaret got up and reached for her camera on the coffee table. "Regina, Graham, say cheese!" They both smiled their best smiles as the pixie haired brunette took the picture. It looked lovely and she was so thrilled to put it on the new album she had been working on. "Now everyone please, around the tree!"

David got up from his chair with a not so please look on his face. He hated taking pictures, he never looked good in them and Mary Margaret would put them in the album regardless. Graham and Regina got up from the couch and joined David as well as Mal Drake and her young daughter, Lily. Rumple stood next to Regina and Mary Margaret programmed the camera to take the picture itself so she could be in it. They all hugged each other and laughed as they smile to the camera. Like one big happy family.

"Okay, okay. Enough with that, M&M. It's time for the presents." David said, a wrapped package already in his hands. This was his favorite part of the night, both receiving and giving the gifts.

Regina sat on the floor next to the coffee table and watched as the family exchanged their gifts. They all squealed in happiness when they got the things they were hoping to get and they all released a big sigh when it wasn’t what they expected, not even bothering to hide it. Mother would be appalled. She thought to herself. Part of her wanted to just tell them the truth, but the other wanted to enjoy just a bit more of that noisy and sweet little family.

"To Regina, From Santa." Mary Margaret's voice snapped Regina out of her trance and the brunette smiled at the wrapped gift. She said a shy thank you and took her time to unwrap the red and green paper, taking extra care not to knead the paper. Now she felt bad for not giving anything back, but then again what would she give? She had no idea what they liked or disliked. She knew absolutely nothing about them. When she finally saw her gift, she smiled as wide as ever had. It was a knitted dark red sweater with a large white letter "R" right in the middle of it.

“It’s beautiful, Mary Margaret! Thank you.” She got up and let herself be involved in yet another bone crushing hug. The mayor felt the sting of tears behind her eyes and she had to control herself not to cry. It was everything she ever wanted but it wasn’t hers to have. “I’m sorry, I didn’t get you a present.” Regina said when released. 

“Oh, nonsense! Having you here is all I want” Mary Margaret reached her hand and patted Regina softly on the cheek. She didn’t know how to explain it, but she felt like Regina was somehow something she didn’t even know was missing from her family.

…

"Shit!" Emma Swan accidentally kicked the wooden door as she entered her parents’ house. She felt an intense throbbing in her left toe and she hoped she hadn’t broken anything. It was the middle of the night and she was more than pissed to have been held in the precinct consequently missing yet another family event. Emma could only imagine how mad her family was.

She hung her red leather jacket in the foyer closet, closing it as careful as she could. The house was quiet which meant that any little noise was amplified by a hundred. She almost yelled though as a familiar voice came from behind her. "Hey Ems, about time you made it." Graham said, leaning against the door frame.

"Yeah, well better late than never, right?" Emma shrugged, a smirk on her thin lips. Her brothers were everything to her, even though it took her quite some time to understand she wasn’t being replaced. They were her best friends and letting them down hurt like a bitch.She walked over to the kitchen and hugged Graham, something that was still a bit foreigner to her. "Merry Christmas, Graham. I’m sorry I couldn’t be here."

"Merry Christmas, Emma." Graham said as he hugged her back. He knew how much Emma’s job meant to her and what she had to sacrifice to build a career and he suddenly felt ashamed of being pissed. “It’s okay, really. We’ll make up for it during breakfast.”

"Yeah, that sounds good.” Emma smiled, glad that he couldn’t see the redness in her eyes in the dark. “I bought you some gifts, they’re at my apartment though. Couldn’t exactly bring them to the station. You guys can swing by later and get them." She had finally relaxed a bit, the stress of the day slowly leaving her shoulders. “But tell me, was Mal Drake as unbearable as always?” She laughed a little too loud, the sound carrying it towards the living room.

"Shh, don't be so loud." Graham said, pointing towards the living room, where Regina laid asleep on the couch. He was somewhat relieved to see that she hadn’t moved at all.

"Did you just shush me?" Emma narrowed her eyes. She hated being shushed, it brought memories from the few foster homes she had to endure before being adopted by Mary Margaret and David. She suddenly remembered that Graham had tried to show her something and she turned towards the living room. "Can you please take your girlfriend upstairs, Graham?" Emma slapped the back of his head and rolled her eyes. 

"She's not my girlfriend." Graham shook his head. "She's Neal’s fiancée."

"She's Neal's WHAT?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the insane delay, i’m in the middle of my midterms and they’re driving me insane. Hope you enjoy it! Please don’t forget to review.
> 
> Ps: I don’t have a beta so any mistakes are my own and i apologize in advance.

Regina blinked her eyes a few times, taking in the environment around her. It took her a few second to realise that she had fallen asleep on Mary Margaret's couch. Memories of the previous night invaded her mind, making her smile widely. That was her first real Christmas, surrounded by friends and family and something even deeper than that...surrounded by love. But her smile immediately turned into a frown as reality hit her. Those weren't her friends, those weren't her family. She was deceiving them, lying to them and she knew that sooner or later everything would come down to pieces and she would be all alone again.

The house was still silent, so Regina figured that everyone was still asleep. The mayor pulled her short hair into a tiny ponytail and as quietly as she possibly could, grabbed her beautiful new sweater and got up, searching for her heels. She could have sworn that she had left them by the coffee table when she sat down on the floor as everyone opened their presents the night before. She released a puff of air and arched one perfect eyebrow. Where on Earth are my shoes?

"Looking for these?" Regina jumped at the sound of a husky voice coming from the hallway. It sent a shiver down Regina's body and the brunette didn't know if it was because got surprised or because of something else. She took a deep breath and turned around to face the unfamiliar voice.

A tall woman was leaning against the doorframe, a pair of black heels hanging on her index finger. The lean figure had the most beautiful wavy blonde hair Regina had ever seen in her entire life and her delicate bone structure looked like it was designed by gods. She was watching Regina carefully, green eyes watching each and every movement. There was something in those eyes that caught Regina's attention, but she didn't know what it was exactly. She smiled shyly and nodded as she made her way to the door. "Yes, yes I was." 

As she got closer to the blonde, the smell of vanilla - and,was it cinnamon?- filled her nostrils. It was such a pleasing andwarm smell, and it made Regina’s smile grow a little wider as she stretched her arms out in order to get her heels.

"I'm sorry, by the way. I didn't mean to startle you." Emma said as she handed Regina her black heels. "By the looks of it, you must be Regina." The tall blonde smiled, exposing her deep dimples. Regina felt a weird tingling run through her as she observed the small creases.

"And you must be Emma." She smiled once again when she got a nod of confirmation. "It's really nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too." Emma walked over to the big armchair and let herself sink on it. She slept for only 3 hours the night before, thoughts running wild inside her head all night. “How in the hell did Neal get this girl?” was the question she found herself repeating over and over again, trying to find a plausible explanation. Not that her brother wasn’t attractive, but Regina’s beauty and elegance was in a whole other level.

Regina sat across from her on the couch, putting her heels on carefully. She closed her eyes and flinched as pain took over her lower back. This is what you get for not sleeping in the comfort of your bed for the last two nights. She silently scolded herself.

"You know, it's rude to sneak out." Emma still had her eyes closed, her arms were crossed in front of her chest and her legs were hanging from the arm of the chair. She released a puff of air, blowing a rebellious strand of hair away from her face. Regina held a laugh when the same strand fell back on Emma’s face. It was only when Emma opened one of her eyes to look at her that the mayor realised she hadn't answered yet.

"Sorry, sometimes I get lost in my thoughts." She smiled apologetically. "And yes, I know it's rude, but I know that your mother will ask me to stay for breakfast and I really don’t want to impose myself. I already came over yesterday and crashed the party." Regina ran her hand through her hair and released it from the ponytail. Emma watched as raven tresses fell on Regina's shoulder, framing her face perfectly. The blonde could feel a weird magnetic pull towards the other woman but she chose to shove it as far away as possible. She sat up on the chair as the mayor moved over to the door.

"I don't think you know this, but the Nolan's motto is ‘the more the merrier.’” Emma said that last part doing quite an accurate impersonation of her mother. “You wouldn't be imposing yourself, really." Emma ran her fingers through her wild curls and looked up at Regina, deep hazel eyes meeting sweet chocolate ones once again.

"I know. But I really have to go now." Regina gave Emma a shy smile. All she wanted in that moment was to stay with the Nolans, have a nice breakfast and reminisce about last night. But she couldn’t. She was deceiving them and the guilt was starting to tear her apart already. "Please thank your family for having me and tell your mother I will call her later. It was nice meeting you, Emma." She turned around and open the door in one smooth swing, letting a cold flow of air surround her.

"It was nice meeting you too. And Regina?" The mayor looked over her shoulder when she heard her name. "Welcome to the family."

...

"We pray that the Lord’s healing presence will be felt by those who are sick, and by their families. Especially Killian Jones, Ella DeVille, Merida O’Sullivan and Wendy Darling. We pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer."  
The priest's voice echoed in the small church full of people. It was a Sunday morning and the whole Nolan clan as well of other families from the neighbourhood were gathered in the chapel for the weekly mass. Some were there to honour God, some to find some peace and others to confess their sins and ask for forgiveness. 

For one particular reason, Emma couldn't focus on the mass nor on the things that the priest was saying. Instead she leaned closer to her dad and asked the question that had been bugging her for the last couple of days. "So, who's this Regina chick?" Emma looked expectantly over to her father.

"She's your brother's finance." David gave her a simple answer. He didn't know where that was coming from, and to be honest he didn't really want to. Emma was very suspicious, a trait she got from her early years in the foster care - something that was incredibly helpful for her career. He knew his daughter was overprotective with everyone in the family and he admired the hell out of her for that.

"You'd think that if Neal was getting married, he would announce to the whole station. Hell, he'd announce to the whole world." Emma raised one of her eyebrows. She couldn’t understand how his brother had kept such a huge secret from her, from everyone. If she was the one engaged to a woman like Regina she would put up posters all over the city.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret scolded her daughter and Emma immediately realized that she used the word "hell" in the church. "If he wasn't too busy trying to become a deputy just like you he would have told us." Mary Margaret shook her head negatively.

"So why did she sneak out on Christmas' morning?" Emma inquired as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"She has a job you know? She's our mayor." It was Graham's turn to speak. He grew quite fond of the brunette in the past few days, probably because she was -how he put it- incredibly hot.

"I still don't know if I can trust her." Emma intertwined her fingers, her thumbs brushing against her palms.

"Oh, for Christ's sake, Em! You never trust anyone new, just leave Regina alone." Graham rolled his eyes and turned his attention to his mother when she poked at his ribs. "Hey, what was that for?" He rubbed the spot Mary Margaret touched a few minutes back.

"Stop swearing, both of you! We're in church, be respectful."

"Will you please pipe down?" A man sitting on the bench behind the family asked them, his voice slightly annoyed.

"Hey, buddy, be nice. We're in a church." David growled at the stranger. 

"You're disrupting the Mass!" He shot back.

"Who died and made you the pope?" Emma turned to face the man who was bugging her family. She knew that they were noisy and annoying - especially when they had reason to be, like today- but most people in the neighbourhood were already used to the clan's loud behavior.

"David, Emma, knock it off." Mary Margaret gave both her husband and her daughter a deadly look and they immediately shut up and turned their attention back to the priest. He said a few more words and quoted the bible a few times.

"Amen" They all said in unison.  
…

Regina finally got the box with Neal's belongings from the kitchen counter and took it to her bedroom. She sat comfortably against her pillows, her legs crossed in front of her and the box on her lap. The mayor started to get the things, one by one, out of the box and put them neatly by her side on the bed. A square shaped object, made out of leather caught her attention - Neal's wallet. She has always known that a person's wallet could tell a lot about who they were, and she wasn't wrong. When she opened his wallet, she could see a picture of him hugging Emma and Graham as they laughed hysterically. On the other side, there was a picture of him sitting on Mary Margaret's lap, David right behind them with this huge grin on his face. Regina smiled as she stroke the thumb across the plastic. She held the object for a few more seconds before closing it and putting it back on her bed.

Regina stacked the old receipts and bubblegum wrappers on a neat pile next to all of his things. She was well aware of her slight OCD but it was a part of who she was and being neat made her feel safe and comfortable. 

The mayor then noticed a brown paper bag, all crumpled up. She turned it upside down and a small can fell, making a metallic noise when it came in contact with Neal's keys. Regina bit her lip as she tried to identify the object. And her eyes almost fell out of their sockets when she read the big bold letters spelling CAT FOOD on its front.

"Oh my god!" Regina said out loud as she jumped out of bed and ran towards her closet. It has been a few days since the accident, and she knew that the chances of the cat being alive were, well, quite low. She got lost in her in her head once again, as she thought about how scared and lonely the little cat must have been and about how many litres of water a cat was supposed to drink everyday. Regina got her favourite pair of black jeans from the top shelf of her closet and a white knitted sweater. 

The brunette got dressed as fast as she could and ran towards the door, only stopping on the way to set the alarm and close the windows. Regina kept repeating that everything was okay, desperately wanting to believe those words.

"Please, please be alive." She sighed as she hopped into her black mercedes and drove off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are highly appreciated.


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